Dauntless
by Sentimental Suffragette
Summary: *On Hiatus* When Mare Barrow accidentally creates a portal that leads to another universe, and consequently turns back into her 13-year-old self, she finds herself in a new and fascinating world that she had never even dreamed could exist. Takes place right after the events in Glass Sword. Crossover between Harry Potter and Red Queen. Rated T for Sirius/Bellatrix.
1. Chapter 1

**Mare's POV**

* * *

I could feel the pain throbbing in every part of me. The death of Shade, my own enslavement, and the way my power was being leached from me by Silent Stone were almost too much to bear.

Suddenly, I felt sparks humming beneath my skin. This should have been impossible, given the Silent Stone, but I welcomed the feeling. Lightning leapt out of my fingertips. Strangely enough, I wasn't in control of them this time. I just watched them form a rectangular frame that resembled a portal.

Then I realized: what if it _was_ a portal?

I slowly picked myself up off the ground and approached the frame of electricity. In its center, it was filled with a golden shimmery light, which I reached out to touch. I giggled when it met my hand. It tickled!

I wondered what I was waiting for. I had been trapped in a cell that took away my lighting for the last eight hours. My brother, Shade, was dead. I had been forced into the role of Maven's slave, presumably for the rest of my days. But now, here was this portal (that I had no idea I could create) that could let me escape.

I didn't stop to think about where it would take me. I didn't even wonder what would happen here without me. I just swung one foot over the frame, followed by my other foot. I ducked my head into it, and then I was out of my cell and in a whole new place.

I was in a forest. Tall trees were stretching into the sky all around me and the sharp scent of pine filled my nostrils. For a second, I forgot myself, all caught up in the glorious feeling of being free. Then I looked down and was met with a shocking sight. I had somehow morphed into my thirteen-year-old self. Now it made sense that the tall trees looked so incredibly tall. I was short. Shaking my head, I pulled myself together so I could think up a plan. I had a duty: to overthrow the reign of the Silvers and bring freedom to my people. To do that, I had to escape my cell (which I had just done). There was only one way to escape that I knew of: the portal I came through just now. The problem was that I had no idea where I was. As I turned back to the portal to have a look at my old cell, I witnessed what I feared would happen: my portal was fading away. Before I could hope to reenter my world, it was gone. I sighed. I had no idea where I was, but perhaps I could create another portal. I concentrated on manipulating my lightning to create another portal, but it was to no avail. Frustrated, I slashed through the air with a bolt of lightning. That's when I heard a small gasp.

I spun around, holding a small ball of electricity in case there was an attacker. "Who's there? And where am I right now?"

A voice, distinctly female, answered me, "Right now, you're in the woods by my house. As for me-"

The girl stepped out from behind a tree. She had wild, curly, dark brown hair, and heavily lidded dark brown eyes. "I'm Bellatrix Black."


	2. Chapter 2

**Bella's POV**

* * *

Bellatrix eyed the girl in front of her curiously. She had faded hair that fell just past her shoulders. It started out brown at the root, but became lighter and lighter in color as it descended, until it was completely pale at the ends. _Years of hard labor,_ Bellatrix concluded. The girl had rings under her eyes, indicating a lack of sleep that had been going on for days. Her eyes themselves were particularly intriguing. They were sea blue in color, and kept darting from side to side, as if she expected danger to leap out at her at any given moment.

"Who are you?" asked Bellatrix.

The girl blinked. "You don't know me? I'm Mare Barrow. You know, the Lightning Girl?"

Bellatrix shook her head, puzzled. "Sorry, but I've never heard of you."

The girl, Mare Barrow, looked worried now. "Have you at least heard of King Maven?"

Bellatrix shook her head again. "No."

Mare, now extremely flustered, took a deep breath and asked, "Are you Silver or Red?"

"What?"

"What color is your blood?"

"Red, like everyone else's."

Mare gasped. "Everyone?"

Bellatrix nodded. "Everyone."

Mare buried her head in her hands. Bellatrix reached out to pat her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm lost, and I have no idea what I got myself into," Mare whimpered.

"I can help you," said Bellatrix. She was sure that there was some branch of magic that could transport people back home.

Mare looked up at her hopefully. "Really?"

Bellatrix nodded. "But first, you need to get some rest. In all honesty, you look like you haven't slept in ages."

"I have no place to go," said Mare.

"Come stay at my house," said Bellatrix. "We have room for guests."

"Thank you so much," said Mare gratefully.

"You're very welcome," said Bellatrix. "Anyway, let's go? It's a long walk back, and we want to be there before sunset."

They started walking down the path to Grimmauld Place.

"The only things I know about you are that you can create lightning and you found it surprising that everyone here has red blood," said Bellatrix. "Tell me more about yourself, and where you're from."

"Well, I guess the first thing you need to know is that my world is divided by blood," Mare began.


	3. Chapter 3

**Mare's POV**

* * *

"So, this Maven bloke basically ruined everything for you," said Bellatrix.

"Yes," I affirmed. Bellatrix had taken a genuine interest in my story. It seemed to be unlike anything she'd ever heard. "Well, that's pretty much my whole life story," I said. "Tell me about yours."

So, for the remainder of the walk to her house, Bellatrix told me about her own life, and this place that I had landed myself in. She taught me everything I needed to know about the Wizarding World, muggles, pure bloods, pure blood supremacists, blood traitors, half-bloods, Muggle borns, squibs, the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts, Quidditch, Hogsmeade (something she was particularly excited about), and magical creatures.

Bellatrix herself was an interesting girl. She, along with the rest of the youngest generation of her family, disagreed with pureblood supremacy. She had two sisters, Narcissa and Andromeda, who were twins. They didn't look anything alike, but their personalities were similar. Bellatrix was older than them by nine months, something she and her sisters found highly amusing.

Bellatrix also had three cousins. One of them, Sirius, was born just a week after she was. His brother, Regalus, was about a year younger. Her other cousin, Arthur, was 16, older than her by two years.

Bellatrix was a Slytherine, although her best friends, Lily Evans and Alice Prewett, were in Gryffindor.

Bellatrix told me a few more things about herself until we reached a large, fancy residence.

"Welcome to my house," said Bellatrix, opening the door.

I observed my surroundings with great interest. This home was a million times nicer than any Red could hope to live in, but nowhere near the glamour of Silver palaces. I had to remind myself that this was a different world, with different standards.

Bellatrix led me to a kind of sitting room, with about 10 different armchairs, two sofas, a loveseat, and a table that held several different board games (the only one I recognized was chess). In one corner, a fireplace flickered softly.

There were five kids in the room. One of them was a blond girl with delicate features and wide blue eyes. She didn't notice us, as her attention was occupied with brushing her waist long hair while humming a peppy tune.

There was one other girl in the room, who was sprawled out on a couch, absorbed in a book. She had caramel colored hair and sparkling blue eyes. Obviously, she didn't notice us either.

Stoking the fireplace was a tall redhead boy. He was, too, oblivious to his surroundings.

Last but not least were two boys who were studying a giant map. One of them looked up, and our eyes locked. I studied him, taking in his shaggy black hair, his dark chocolate brown eyes, and his soft features. He offered me a shy smile, which I returned.

The boy next to him (who had the same hair, but crystal blue eyes and sharper features) was the first to verbally acknowledge me and Bellatrix. "So, Trixie, who's the new girl?"

Everyone turned to look at us.

"This is Mare Barrow," said Bellatrix. "You won't believe what I learned about her!"

Bellatrix launched into the wild and crazy tale that was my life while I collapsed into a vacant armchair, my head spinning with all the events of that day. I had learned so much about the Wizarding World that I felt like I lived here, yet my own world was still fresh in my mind.

"She can control lightning!" said Bellatrix enthusiastically, earning gasps from the others.

"Can you show us? Please?" asked the blond.

"Sure," I said.

I conjured a ball of lightning to demonstrate, tossing it into the air and catching it again, amazing everyone in the process.

Bellatrix continued talking, sometimes using hand gestures to illustrate the events. She was almost done when two adults, a man and a woman, came into the room.

"Who's this?" asked the man, gesturing to me.

"I'm Mare Barrow," I told him.

"I've never heard of the Barrows. Are they purebloods?" asked the woman.

"She's not pureblood, half blood, Muggle born, or anything we've ever heard of," said Bellatrix. "Where she's from, she's called a new blood, and she was lighting powers!"

I repeated my lightning trick to show them that it was true. The lady's eyes popped open in shock and the man pinched himself, as if to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Bellatrix began to retell my tale. She didn't seem to mind having to repeat it.

"And then she escaped her cell and ended up here somehow," said Bellatrix when she finished. "I brought her here because she could use some rest, and because I thought we could help her return home. Isn't there some sort of transportation magic we can use?"

"Certainly," said the man.

I realized that I'd forgotten to tell Bellatrix exactly _how_ I had escaped, a detail that would soon become crucial.

"How did you get here, sweetie?" asked the woman kindly.

"I accidentally created a portal that led to the woods next to your house," I replied.

The adults gasped. Bellatrix turned to me, her eyes shining with excitement. "Mare, that means you're from an alternate universe!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Bella's POV**

* * *

"An alternate universe?" Mare asked weakly.

"I'm afraid so," said Bellatrix's mother.

"That complicates things. Alternate universes have been proven to exist, but that's all anyone knows. It's a little-studied branch of magic. No one has ever succeeded in traveling to an alternate universe before," said her father.

"There is only one way to learn how to do it," said her mom.

"The Timeless Library," Bellatrix whispered.

"Which is a place you will not journey to," said her father sharply.

"What? Why not?" asked Bellatrix, astounded.

"Mare will need someone to guide her, and none of us can do that. It's extremely perilous," said her father.

"She needs to get home," said Arthur, indignant.

"I'm sorry, Mare, but that's impossible," her mother told Mare. "You're welcome to live with us, though."

"Thank you," said Mare sadly.

Bellatrix fumed quietly as her parents left the room, a plan quickly taking shape in her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Mare's POV**

* * *

I was never going to be able to get home. The news hit me hard.

"I'm sorry about that," said Bellatrix.

I shrugged. "It's fine." But it wasn't fine. I had a family, friends (sort of), and Cal…I couldn't leave them behind. I wouldn't. That idea gave me significant comfort—if I had created a portal once, I could do it again.

"Here, I'll show you to your room," said Bellatrix, cutting into my thoughts.

I nodded and followed her out of the room and up a flight of stairs.

"I guess I should tell you everybody's names," said Bellatrix.

I found out that the blond girl was Narcissa, the other girl was Andromeda, the redhead boy was Arthur, the boy I had first made eye contact with was Regalus, and the boy who had referred to Bellatrix as "Trixie" was Sirius.

She led me down a hallway and opened the door on the right. I went inside and was met with the cutest bedroom I'd ever seen. The bed was piled high with pillows and blankets. There was a giant bay window that displayed the gardens, filled with flowers and shrubs. The walls were painted light pink like cotton candy. Again, it was far superior to Red living conditions, but inferior to Silver glamour.

"I love it," I told Bellatrix.

"Thanks," she responded. "My bedroom is right next door. Feel free to stop by if you need anything."

"Thank you very much."

Suddenly, there was a loud crack and an elf appeared in between us. _A house elf_ , I thought, recalling what Bellatrix had told me on our walk to her house.

"Kreacher is here to take Bellatrix and Miss Barrow to dinner," said the house elf, offering his arm to us. Bellatrix took hold of his arm, and I imitated her. The next thing I knew was the world fading to black and a wobbly feeling in the pit of my stomach, accompanied by a shot of adrenaline. We reappeared in a classy dining room. I stumbled from the shock, but quickly pulled myself together.

"Usually apparating is hard on first timers," said Bellatrix, "but I suppose that isn't the case for you."

"That was amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Hi Mare," said a voice behind me. I spun around and saw Regalus. This was the first time he'd spoken to me.

"Hey, Regalus," I replied.

"How do you know my name?" he asked in surprise.

"Bellatrix told me," I answered.

Before we could continue the conversation, adults began to file into the room. There were the two I had spoken to earlier, whom I assumed were Bellatrix's parents, but there were many others. I did not feel shy in any way, as I had experienced large crowds like this in the Silver palaces, larger, even.

I saw Narcissa, Andromeda, Arthur, and Sirius slip in as well and run to join us. Everyone started taking their seats, some glancing curiously in my direction. Bellatrix sat next to Sirius and motioned for me to take the seat on her right. Regalus sat on the other side of me. Once everybody was settled, the house elf snapped his fingers, and a banquet appeared in front of us. There was roast beef, mashed potatoes, and salad. I helped myself to a little bit of everything and ate in silence. I said nothing, choosing instead to observe the conversations taking place. This was a skill I had developed in the Silver courts, which served me well now. I got a pretty good idea of what everyone was like this way. There was an elderly couple that seemed kind and had a pleasant demeanor. Most of the middle-aged people, however, were a bit stiff. They weren't false and cold like Silvers, but they definitely cared for formalities and acting "proper"

Nobody mentioned my presence until a severe looking woman looked directly at me and said, "So, that's the girl from the alternate universe?"

Bellatrix's parents affirmed her statement and she began to ask them questions about me, ignoring the fact that I was right there.

"Now that you're moving into the Wizarding World," she said, finally addressing me, "you should learn not to mix with half blood and mudblood filth. You could end up going down a nasty blood traitor path. Take my son, Sirius, for example, who got sorted into Gryffindor after meeting those wretched friends of his."

"Leave him alone," Bellatrix snapped. "He didn't choose to get sorted into Gryffindor, and even if he did, that would be just fine."

"Watch your tongue, Missy," said the man seated next to Sirius's mother.

"Do not speak to my daughter in that way!" Bellatrix's mom hissed.

"Go ahead and defend her, but she's no better than Sirius. She keeps exchanging letters with a mudblood and the Prewett blood traitor," said Sirius's mom.

"Lies and deception!" Bellatrix's father roared,

"And what about Andromeda? And Arthur? Both of them became Gryffindor scum!"

This provoked not only the parents of Andromeda and Bellatrix, but the parents of Arthur, too. A shouting match ensued, where everybody at the table began taking sides.

"And that's our cue to leave," Bellatrix whispered, getting up from the table and pulling me with her, running away as fast as she could. I could see Narcissa, Andromeda, Sirius, Regalus, and Arthur following us. We took refuge in the parlor, the one I had first met them in.

"Really, Trixie, you didn't have to defend me like that," said Sirius.

"What was I supposed to do? Sit back and enjoy the show while she criticized you?" Bellatrix replied angrily, her fists clenched.

"Trixie," he started, taking her hands in his, "this is getting dangerous. You saw how Mum discovered your letters to Lily and Alice. If you keep this up, you'll be exposed, and they'll find out where your loyalties are."

"Let them!" said Bellatrix softly. "I don't care anymore."

"Let's leave them to the talking," Andromeda whispered.

Arthur, Narcissa, and Regalus followed her into a room next door. I was about to leave and head to my new bedroom when Narcissa turned around and asked, "You coming, Mare?"

"Sure," I replied.

She reached for my hand and pulled me with her to the next room. This room appeared to be a laboratory, stocked with vials, ingredients, and cauldrons.

"This is the potions room," Narcissa informed me. "The adults use it for business purposes, but we just like to mess around in here."

I watched Regalus tinker with some vials filled with multicolor liquid while Arthur read a book about advanced potions. Andromeda sat in the corner, reading her book, the same book she had been reading earlier.

"Want to help me make shrinking solution?" asked Narcissa.

I told her I did, so she opened a textbook and showed me the ingredients we needed and the steps we had to follow. I helped her chop daisy roots while we talked.

"So, what's your life at Hogwarts like?" I asked her.

"It's fun, I guess. I don't have many friends besides Andromeda, so there isn't much drama. Oh, but there's this boy-his name is Lucius Malfoy. He is _so_ cute. He's got this slicked back blond hair and deep blue eyes…oh, sorry, am I boring you?"

"Not at all," I said, smirking. "Tell me more about this Lucius Malfoy."

She went on to describe everything she knew about him. She confided to me her frustration that he never talked to her or noticed her existence.

"Talk to him," I suggested. "At least then he'll know you exist. Heck, maybe he'll even fall for you."

"You think so?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course!" I assured her.

We went on to talk more about boys. She wanted to know all about my past love life, all the little details. It felt good to discuss everything I'd gone through with Cal and Maven. I'd never had someone to talk to before. Narcissa and I got to know each other very well before curfew. I had a feeling that she would become one of my close friends.

"Time for bed, kids!" called Bellatrix's mother after about an hour.

"I'll see you tomorrow," said Narcissa, smiling at me.

"Good night, Narcissa. Can I call you Cissy, by the way?"

"Sure! That's what my sisters call me."

We parted ways, each heading to her own bedroom. Bellatrix ran up to me as I was about to enter my room.

"Have a good night, Mare," she told me.

"You, too, Bellatrix."

"Hey, do you need a nightgown?" she asked.

I looked down at my clothing. I was still wearing my prison clothes. "I guess I do."

"You can borrow one of mine," she said, darting into her room. She returned with a long sleeved dark blue night dress.

"Try this on," she suggested.

I removed my old outfit and slipped into the dress. It fit perfectly, not to mention how comfortable it was. "Thanks," I told her.

"You can keep it," she said, walking back into her bedroom. "Sweet dreams!"

I collapsed into the bed in my room. It was so comfortable and cozy…I snuggled deeper underneath the duvet and blankets. I thought about the people I had met today, and how welcoming they had been. I realized that I hadn't really talked to most of them. I decided that my first priority the next day was to get to know them like I did Narcissa and Bellatrix. With that thought firmly etched in my mind, I drifted into a deep sleep, too tired to make any more plans.

* * *

I woke up the next day feeling very much revived. I jumped out of bed and stretched, waking up my muscles a little. I skipped down the hallway and met Bellatrix standing at the top of the stairs.

"Ah, you're awake, Mare! Wow, the sleep's done wonders for you. The bags under your eyes are gone," she said, studying me. "Now, let's get you dressed."

She brought me to her room and opened her closet. "Here, you can choose an outfit."

I selected a stretchy pair of pants like the ones I wore for Training back in the Silver world and a purple short-sleeved top. After I got dressed, Bellatrix brushed my hair. Then she went over to a desk, picked up her wand, and tapped my head, saying, "Restituo."

Instantly, my hair began to turn back to its natural color: the chestnut brown it was supposed to be before my years of hard work as a laboring Red.

"Ah, perfect!" said Bellatrix.

"How did you do that?" I asked, astonished.

"It's a spell I learned," she said proudly. "I thought that we'd best get you fixed up. After all, we're going to have a busy day, sneaking out to find the Timeless Library."

"What?" I asked in horror. "Your parents forbid you from going there!"

"Sorry, love, but you want to get home, don't you? I want to help you."

"Thank you so much! For everything," I said gratefully.

"No problem," she replied airily. "Let's get to breakfast now."

On the way down the stairs, we ran into Regalus. I have no idea why, but my heart did a triple flip just upon seeing him there. I mentally kicked myself, thinking of Cal. _He's back at home, probably worried sick, and here you are, with your mind on another boy. What's wrong with you?_

"Hello again, Mare. You look nice," he told me.

"So do you," I said, returning the compliment.

We made small talk until we reached the dining room and took our seats. The adults milled around, scowling, probably upset with the argument from the night before. This time I sat next to Andromeda. I talked with her throughout the meal of bacon and eggs. For some reason, she was especially curious about my lessons with Julian. I told her about the geography, the history, and the science I'd learned from him, including the genetic mutations of the newbloods. In turn, she taught me a few things she'd learned in Hogwarts. _Three down, three to go,_ I noted, remembering what I had resolved to do the night before.

After breakfast, and after I brushed my teeth upstairs, I ran into Regalus again.

"Hi, Mare. Fancy a game of Quidditch? I was about to go play with Sirius and Arthur."

"Is that the game with the broomsticks?" I asked, once again calling up the things I'd learned from Bellatrix. I had a fairly good idea of how to play.

"Exactly!" said Regalus.

"I'd love to join you," I said. "What position should I play?"

"I get the feeling that you'd make a good Chaser, but you can choose. By the way, you'd have to choose two positions, since we have so few players," he told me.

"I'll be the Chaser and the Seeker, then," I decided.

"So I'll be the Keeper and the Beater," he said.

We walked through the garden and into what I assumed was a Quidditch pitch, where Sirius and Arthur were racing around on broomsticks. Regalus tossed me a pair of leather gloves and a broomstick. I slipped the gloves onto my hands and jumped onto the broom.

"That's not how to get onto a broom," Arthur informed me when I didn't lift off. "Place it on the ground and say 'Up!' Then it will fly into your hand and you'll be able to mount it."

I followed his instructions. To my delight, I was able to get on the broom and fly. I was doubtful that it would work, since I wasn't a witch, but it did.

We spent half an hour playing Quidditch. I had a blast, not to mention that I befriended the boys through the course of the game. I spent the rest of the day talking with them and the Black sisters in the parlor. I played a game of Wizarding chess with Regalus before dinner.

After dinner, Bellatrix and I rushed upstairs.

"I packed a trunk full of the supplies we'll need. There's enough food to last about three days—after that we'll have to scavenge for meals," she told me when we'd reached her room.

"How long will it take to get there?" I asked. I had previously assumed that it would only take a few hours.

"A week at the least," she said.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Narcissa suspiciously.

We turned to see the entire youngest generation of the Black family standing outside Bellatrix's room.

"Aren't you going to talk with us in the parlor like we always do?" asked Andromeda.

Bellatrix took a deep breath. "Look, I'm taking Mare to the Timeless Library. Don't tell the adults."

"Of course we won't tell!" said Arthur. "We want to go with you."

"We just made friends with Mare, do you really think that we're not going to accompany her?" asked Narcissa.

"Not to mention that you need all the help you can get," said Sirius. "You know that it's dangerous."

"Alright, pack your clothes. We leave tonight, when the adults are asleep. We can't use our magic until we're in the depths of the forest, where the trace can't follow us, but bring your wands anyway," Bellatrix instructed.

* * *

Half an hour after curfew, we departed. Sirius and Arthur carried the trunk that held our belongings. We ran into the forest, racing down the path. We traveled deeper and deeper in, without any thought of turning back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Bella's POV**

They had been running for what felt like hours, stumbling through the darkness. Bellatrix had developed a stitch in her side, but she kept pushing on. She was desperate to get into the depths of the forest, where the trace couldn't detect their magic. That's when Narcissa caught her foot in a dent in the ground and was sent sprawling.

"My ankle!" she yelped. "I think I sprained it!"

"Do you think we can cast a healing spell?" asked Andromeda.

Sirius pulled out the map to the Timeless Library. Bellatrix saw a red dot, which represented them, sitting inside an area that was shaded dark green and labeled "Untraceable Realm" They were nearly on the edge of it, but nevertheless, it was safe to do magic. Andromeda cast a quick healing spell over Narcissa's ankle.

"I think we should rest," said Andromeda. "It's late, and we've gone far enough."

She opened the trunk and fished through it until she found a tent. "How do I assemble this thing?"

"Let's do it the Muggle way!" said Arthur eagerly. "With pegs and ropes and thinks like that."

"We have magic-" Andromeda started, but it was too late. Arthur was already pulling out his box of Muggle tools and trinkets. It was a thin, rectangular, mahogany case, charmed so that it never ran out of space. Arthur pulled off the lid and tapped the box with his wand, saying, "Accio pegs, accio ropes, and accio hammer!"

The Muggle tools flew out of the box and into Arthur's waiting hand.

A few minutes later, the tent was assembled and ready.

"I'm going to cast some charms over it," Andromeda announced. "To keep the adults from finding us, and such."

"That's extremely high level magic, Annie," said Bellatrix.

Andromeda smiled at the pet name.

"Are you sure you know it off the top of your head?"

"Well, no," Andromeda began.

"But I brought an advanced Charms textbook," said Narcissa, pulling it out of the trunk.

Andromeda paged through the book until she found some promising spells. "Okay, everyone into the tent," she instructed.

The six of them did as she ordered. Andromeda took one last look at the textbook and pulled out her wand.

"Invisibilia, intemerata, insolubilis," Andromeda muttered. She turned to the rest of the group. "Now, anyone else who comes here won't be able to see the tent, and they'll walk right through it if they bump into it. Because we were in the tent when the spells were cast, we'll still be able to see and feel it. Also, I made the tent nearly indestructible. If a tree falls, say, it will just bounce off. Or, if there's a forest fire, we'll be safe in here."

Bellatrix felt a surge of pride at her sister's intelligence. "Annie, you just did magic more advanced than anything they teach in our year!"

"That's all good and well, but what are we going to use for beds?" asked Arthur.

Bellatrix pondered that until she got an idea. She ran outside and collected seven rocks and seven leaves. She brought them into the tent, then transfigured the leaves into sleeping bags and the rocks into pillows.

"Genius!" said Andromeda.

"I feel like Cinderella's fairy godmother," Bellatrix remarked.

Arthur laughed out loud, but most of the others were confused.

"Who's Cinderella? And why is her godmother a fairy?" asked Narcissa.

"It's a Muggle story for small children," Arthur explained. "Anyway, shall we get to bed?"

"Don't we have to change into our nightclothes?" asked Narcissa.

"Alright, us girls will change first while the boys wait outside the tent, then we'll switch places," said Bellatrix.

"How come you get to go first?" said Regalus, fake-pouting.

"Because there are four of us, and three of you. Majority rules," said Narcissa quickly, Slytherine instincts kicking in.

Mare high-fived her. "Good one, Cissy!"

They dragged the trunk into the tent as the guys left. Then they dug through the crammed trunk until they found their nightclothes.

"We have to put and undetectable expansion charm on this thing, so we can separate our stuff from the boys' stuff," Narcissa suggested. "I don't think I'd be able to stand it if any of them saw my knickers." She shot a sideways glance at Bellatrix. "Though I don't suppose you'd mind if Sirius saw yours, Bella."

This sent Andromeda and Mare into a fit of hysterical giggling.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Cissy," said Bellatrix, lightly thumping Narcissa on the back of the head.

"What's the deal with you and Sirius, anyway?" asked Mare, leaning against the tent wall. "I've only been here for about a day, but I'm not blind."

Bellatrix poked her head out of the tent to make sure the boys weren't nearby. Thankfully, they were several yards away, far out of earshot. She was about to answer Mare, but Narcissa beat her to it.

"They're in love," Narcissa announced dramatically, putting a hand over her heart.

"Hush," Bellatrix hissed.

Mare just nodded. "I knew it."

Bellatrix stared in shock. She'd expected Mare to act disgusted or appalled to some degree, but Mare took the news calmly, like it was completely normal.

"Are cousin relationships a socially acceptable thing where you're from?" she asked.

Mare shook her head. "No, but I don't really care."

Meanwhile, Andromeda cast an undetectable expansion charm on the trunk. Bellatrix then climbed into the trunk and cast a few spells to separate everyone's belongings.

Once all the girls were dressed and ready, Narcissa stuck her head out and yelled, "Okay, you can get dressed now!"

"Took you long enough!" Arthur yelled back.

Narcissa rolled her eyes. The four girls walked over to a log and sat down while the boys went into the tent to change.

"What's your favorite subject at Hogwarts?" asked Mare.

"Well, I'm very fond of Charms," said Andromeda, "but Divination is also fun."

"I like Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Bellatrix. "Best class, hands down."

"I don't have a _favorite_ class, but I like it when we learn beauty-related magic," said Narcissa.

"Narcissa is sort of a legend at our school when it comes to beauty magic," said Bellatrix. "She's an expert at that kind of thing. If someone has a bad hair day or a break out, they go to her."

"Ooh, one time a group of Slytherine bullies cursed Mary Macdonald's face so that she got these permanent zits all over it that even Narcissa's strongest potions couldn't remove. You know what Cissy did?" said Andromeda.

"What?" asked Mare.

"She _transfigured_ the zits off Mary's face! Which is very hard to do, by the way," said Andromeda.

"There isn't anyone like our sister out there," said Bellatrix proudly.

"What got you so into beauty magic?" Mare asked Narcissa.

"Well, I like how it makes people happy," said Narcissa. "I mean, who doesn't like to look pretty?"

"We're dressed now," Regulus shouted from the tent.

"Let's go," said Andromeda, getting up.

They strode into the tent. Bellatrix reached into the trunk and pulled out some parchment, a quill, and ink. She whisked her owl's cage (which she'd brought with her) off of the ground and started out of the tent again.

"Aren't you going to sleep, Bella?" asked Andromeda groggily, already curled up in her sleeping bag.

"I will soon enough, Annie, but I'm going to write a letter to Lily and Alice first," Bellatrix explained.

Andromeda mumbled her understanding, and Bellatrix walked out of the tent. She found a large rock and transfigured it into a chair, then transfigured another nearby rock into a desk. She sat down and reached for her wand.

"Lumos Maxima," she said.

Her wand then produced a flash of light, illuminating her makeshift desk. Bellatrix picked up her quill and began to write.

 _Dear Lily and Alice,_ she began, _So much has happened in the past 24 hours, I don't know what to tell you first!_

She then wrote a detailed description of everything that had happened to them thus far, and everything she knew about Mare. She got so caught up in her writing that she didn't notice a figure approaching her.

"Hi, Trixie."

Bellatrix jumped, completely startled. "Sirius! You scared me!"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I thought you heard me coming."

Bellatrix transfigured another rock into a chair so that Sirius could sit with her.

"What brings you here?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I wanted to be with you."

He reached for her hand. Bellatrix smiled as his fingers closed around hers.

"It's been one heck of a day, hasn't it?" Sirius remarked. "We spent the day with Lightning Girl, and now we're trekking through an extremely dangerous forest to get to The Timeless Library, of all places!"

"I feel like it was fate," Bellatrix mused. "Mare could have accidentally teleported anywhere, to any universe, but she ended up in this one, and right at the time when I was going on my walk. It's like we were meant to cross paths with her."

"Maybe it was," said Sirius. "Maybe she needs us in her life for some reason."

"Maybe we need her," said Bellatrix, "or maybe both. I'm not sure. I just know that it's more than coincidence."

"So, now that destiny has led us to trek through a forest with a random stranger, do you think we'll make it to The Timeless Library without dying first?"

"Well, there are seven of us and we have a lightning summoner with us. What does this forest have that could possibly beat us?" Bellatrix joked.

Just then, a nearby bush rustled ominously. Bellatrix gulped.

"That said, we should probably practice our magic."

"Well, I, for one, am very happy to be on this trip," Sirius announced. "Any place is better than that bloody house we live in."

"Definitely," Bellatrix agreed. "We can be free here. We don't have to pretend."

Over the years, Bellatrix had gotten quite good at pretending. It was her best defense against the adults who held the family views. Whenever they went anywhere near her, she hid behind her fake persona. She pretended that she didn't love Sirius. She pretended that she didn't have muggle born or blood traitor friends. She pretended that she and her sisters were the perfect pureblood daughters, who allowed themselves to be spoon fed lies and who always projected their family's motto: Toujours Pur, also known as Always Pure. But Bellatrix wasn't any of the things she pretended to be, and she felt that she couldn't keep this up for much longer. Something was going to give, and it was going to be soon. Bellatrix knew what would happen. Either she'd stop pretending for good and face the wrath of her family, or she'd become the character she had designed. The first option was frightening, and the second option was sickening, and Bellatrix was scared. She tried to ignore the future to come, clinging to the present as if her life depended on it. However, deep inside, she knew the truth. There wasn't a way to hold back the river.

"We can't hide from them forever," said Sirius, voicing her thoughts.

"They scare me," said Bellatrix quietly. "I don't want them to hate me."

Sirius stroked her curly dark hair affectionately. "Don't worry, Trixie. We'll find a way."

That's when Narcissa decided to stick her head out of the tent and yell, "Enough snogging, you two! Get back here already."

"We weren't snogging, just talking," Bellatrix yelled back.

"I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" Arthur roared from inside the tent.

"I'd better go," said Sirius, standing up.

"Good night," said Bellatrix, smiling.

As he walked back, she returned to writing her letter.

 _We're in the Untraceable Realm now, where we can use our magic,_ she wrote, _and we're nearing The Zone of Trials. That's where we'll encounter mobs of dangerous creatures, among other tests. I know I should be worried, but I'm confident in the skill of our little group, and Mare's powerful lightning abilities will be of great asset. Also, I'm happy to be away from the adults for a while. We can say what we want when we want, and don't have to constantly measure our actions._ She paused, thinking of how to word her thoughts. _I'm also glad to spend time with Sirius without having to hide my feelings._

 _Anyway, how've you two been lately? And by lately, I mean recently, because the last letter we exchanged was only two days ago._

 _Love,_

 _Bellatrix_

Satisfied, she cast a duplication charm over the letter, so that one copy would go to Lily and one to Alice. She folded them up so that her owl, Amber, could carry it. She then opened Amber's cage and cast a permanent tracking charm over her so that Amber would be able to find Bellatrix wherever she went, since they'd be travelling farther into the forest come tomorrow.

"Deliver these to Lily and Alice, please," she told Amber.

Amber hooted in understanding and flew off with the letters. Bellatrix took her things and went back to the tent. She put her materials in the trunk, slipped of her shoes, and slid into her sleeping bag. She was fast asleep in no time.

The next day, it became apparent that Bellatrix hadn't needed to cast the permanent tracking charm over Amber. Bellatrix awoke with Amber sitting next to her, carrying two letters in her talons. Bellatrix smiled and stroked Amber's silken feathers.

"Good girl, Amber," she cooed.

Amber hooted and nuzzled Bellatrix. Bellatrix took the two letters and began reading them. The first one was from Lily.

 _Dear Bella,_

 _I'm still in shock as I write this to you. I can't believe you met someone from an alternate universe! You're so lucky. It must be fascinating to learn about a world so unlike our own. Now, about the Zone of Trials, Bella, for heaven's sake, please be careful! I know that you and the others are skilled, but be on your guard. The Zone of Trials is extremely dangerous. One of these days, I'll have to visit Flourish and Blotts to get you a book on advanced defense spells and send it to you. Maybe Sev can take me there tomorrow. Anyway, I'm glad you're having fun being away from the adults. I hope you'll continue to enjoy the "vacation" despite whatever you'll encounter in the Zone of Trials._

 _Lots of love,_

 _Lily_

Bellatrix smiled and picked up the other letter.

 _Dear Bella,_

 _Oh my gosh, you're going to the Timeless Library? That's sooo cool! Have you battled any monsters yet? What's camping in the woods like? How many times have you and Sirius snogged? Oh, by the way, I did some research on the Timeless Library and found a list of mobs you'll encounter: boggarts, dementors, billywigs, doxies, dragons, dugbogs, grindylows, and kappas. There may be more, but that's all I've got. Have fun on the trip!_

 _Love,_

 _Alice_

Bellatrix grinned and set down the letters. She jumped out of her sleeping bag, ready to start the journey.


	7. Chapter 7

**Mare's POV**

I woke up with Narcissa and Andromeda chatting away.

"But, really, I don't see why witches don't read Muggle magazines. That's where I get my best ideas," Narcissa was saying.

"Well, they just read Witch Weekly," said Andromeda.

"That stuff's _garbage_ ," said Narcissa empathetically. "It's just tireless gossip, most of it libel."

I stretched and got out of bed. "Good morning, girls," I greeted them.

"Good morning, Mare," the twins answered in unison.

"Now that Mare's up, we can have breakfast," said Bellatrix, who was feeding her owl.

"Let me just get dressed first," I told them.

So Andromeda went out of the tent to warn the boys not to come in while I dug through the assortment of clothing that Bellatrix had given me. I chose another outfit similar to the clothes I wore in Training.

"Ooh, can I do your hair?" asked Narcissa. "It's so pretty!"

I gave her my consent, so she took out her wand and began to charm my hair. I had expected her to turn it into something out of the Silver courts, but I was wrong. When she was done, my hair hung loose and looked natural, but still prettier than it looked when I got out of bed. She had tamed the flyaway strands and added a sort of shine.

"Thanks," I said, admiring Narcissa's work.

"You're welcome," she said cheerfully.

After admiring my hair in Narcissa's pocket mirror, I went outside, where the others were waiting to have breakfast. Bellatrix handed me a mug of coffee and a plate of fried eggs and bacon. We talked about things like Quidditch while we ate. I took a long swig of coffee, pursing my lips at the bitterness. Narcissa seemed to notice and offered me a jar of milk.

"Coffee's better with milk and sugar," she told me. "It lessens the bite."

She grabbed a container of sugar and handed that to me as well. After I had added the ingredients, I took another sip. Narcissa was right: it tasted a lot better this way.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked. "Like, are we going to spend all day traveling?"

"No, we're going to take breaks for meals," said Andromeda.

"We also need to spend some time training," said Arthur. "The Zone of Trials isn't a walk through the park."

"We need free time, too," said Regulus. "It's summer, for heaven's sake."

After discussing the matter for a while, we decided that we'd start traveling after breakfast and continue until lunch. Then we'd return to travelling until late afternoon. Come late afternoon, we'd spend an hour training, and then we'd have the rest of the day to ourselves.

"We should get moving now," said Arthur.

Regulus transfigured the fire pit used to cook our food into a basin and filled it with water using Aguamenti. Then he waved his wand, and the dishes began to float in and wash themselves. With that, the others left to finish getting ready for the day. I stayed behind with Regulus, who was staring into space.

"Do you have siblings, back in your world?" he asked suddenly.

I grinned. "Yeah. One sister, three brothers. Gisa, Bree, Tramy, and Shade," I felt a pang of sorrow and guilt at the last name, feelings that had been haunting my heart every day now, "but Shade is dead," I added quietly.

Regulus looked up to meet my gaze. His eyes radiated sadness and empathy. "I'm so sorry, Mare."

A tear slid out of my eye. "He died when we were helping the prisoners escape. A Silver guard threw a spear at him and…he never saw it coming."

I started crying hard, salty tears streaking down my cheeks. Regulus put an arm around me, comforting me immensely. I didn't know why, but I felt at ease around him, even though I barely knew him.

"Nobody should have to go through that, Mare," he told me.

I found myself telling him all about Shade, from my earliest memory of him to the day he died.

"People think that I didn't care about him. Farley even said it herself- that Shade was just another petty death to me."

"They don't know anything," Regulus growled. "You lost a brother, for the love of Merlin, how can they say that?"

I sighed. "It's easier to make assumptions about people you don't like, and people don't like me very much."

"I like you," said Regulus immediately.

"You barely know me," I countered.

"But I can tell that you have a good heart," he told me, "and you're kind."

That gave me a shock. Nobody had ever told me I was kind before. After all, I was Mare Barrow. The liar, the thief, the manipulator.

"Regulus! Mare!" Andromeda called. "Are you ready? We need to leave soon."

That marked the end of our conversation. I walked into the tent with Regulus's words still echoing in my mind.

 _You have a good heart._

* * *

After everyone had brushed their teeth and everything, we left. Bellatrix cast a spell over the tent to dismantle it and fold it up again. She cast a levitating charm over the trunk (so that it would float after us as we traveled) after she'd packed the tent within it. Then we began to walk.

"Tell me about this Timeless Library," I said.

"It contains all the information that there is to learn," said Andromeda.

"They have Muggle knowledge, all the magic there is, and even alternate universe stuff. Whatever you want to know, there's a book for it in the Timeless Library," said Arthur excitedly.

"That sounds amazing! Why don't more people go there?" I asked.

"If everyone went there, some of the knowledge could fall into the wrong hands," said Bellatrix.

I nodded, agreeing.

"Whoever created it knew that, so they made it extremely difficult to get there. It's guarded with some of the most dangerous creatures in the Wizarding World, and if someone manages to get through that, they have to face a test before they enter to see if their intentions are pure," said Regulus.

My throat suddenly went dry. "Are you sure we'll make it?"

"No, we'll probably die at the hands of a grindylow," said Arthur honestly. "There is no recorded survivor of the Timeless Library, and we're just a bunch of rookie wizards."

Bellatrix punched him in the arm. "Don't be so grim, Arthur. Have a little hope." She turned to look at me. "Mare, we _will_ make it. That's one thing I'm absolutely sure of."

Her conviction eased away my doubts. "You're certain?"

"I'm certain," she said firmly.

"We're invincible!" Sirius whooped.

The seven of us continued to walk, talking and laughing happily. I was so wrapped up in the feeling of being a part of something, of being accepted, that I didn't think to keep an eye out for malevolent creatures. Then I heard Andromeda gasp. I looked up and saw a hulking, ugly, grey-skinned creature towering over us.

"Troll," Narcissa squeaked.

We'd met our first challenge.


	8. Chapter 8

**Bella's POV**

As soon as she saw the troll lumbering towards them, Bellatrix instinctively reached for her wand.

"Propellit!" she cried.

The troll was blasted backwards into a tree. It was dazed at first, but it quickly heaved itself up, glaring at them with murder in its eyes. Mare sent a shower of sparks its way, and it fell over once more.

"Is it dead?" asked Narcissa.

"No, just stunned," said Sirius, examining the creature.

"I didn't want to kill it," Mare explained.

"Well, danger's over now!" said Arthur cheerily.

"Uh, guys…" said Andromeda.

Bellatrix looked up and saw a herd of trolls running at them. They were big, they were strong, and they were angry.

"I have some very colorful things to say right now," said Sirius, clenching his fists.

"Relax, Sparky here is going to take them down and we're going to help her," said Regulus calmly, gesturing to Mare.

Mare stared at him, an amused expression on her face. "Did you seriously just call me Sparky?"

"Are we going to fight them or what?" Narcissa shouted, pointing to the onslaught of trolls.

"Hostem caecum," Bellatrix said quickly. The blinding curse shot out of her wand and into the eye of one of their attackers.

"Good aim, Bella," said Regulus, taking out his own wand.

Soon, all six of the wizards were shooting curses at the trolls. Mare summoned a lightning storm, striking down trolls one by one. It seemed that they didn't have to worry after all. At least, until Bellatrix heard Narcissa scream. She spun around and saw that there were trolls coming from _behind_ as well, and one of them had picked up Narcissa and was dangling her upside down. Narcissa's wand lay on the ground, as she'd accidentally dropped it. Bellatrix felt a sudden anger boiling inside her.

"Don't. Touch. My. Sister," she growled. "Uanescere!"

The troll disintegrated, crumbling into a pile of dust. Narcissa screamed again as she fell from the troll's grasp.

"Aresto Momentum," said Bellatrix.

Narcissa's fall was slowed until she landed gracefully on the ground. "Bella, you saved me," she said, throwing her arms around Bellatrix.

Bellatrix gave Narcissa a hug. "Nobody messes with my sister."

They soon got back to fighting. Bellatrix was firing off practically all the curses she knew. "Congelo, tangratella, rictumsempra."

Mare had created a lightning forcefield around them that prevented the trolls from coming too close, but allowed the spells to exit.

"Do trolls usually travel in packs this big?" she asked.

"No," said Bellatrix, beginning to feel slightly concerned.

Regulus gasped. "They must be under the Gemini curse! That's why they keep coming. They're duplicating."

Arthur groaned. "This just went from bad to worse."

"We have to disable it!" said Andromeda. "Finite Incantatem!"

"The Gemini curse isn't susceptible to that," said Sirius. "We have to use a more powerful spell to get rid of it."

"Ultimum Contrarium," said Bellatrix.

"That might have actually worked," said Andromeda in surprise.

Mare electrocuted the last few trolls. After that, no more came.

"We did it!" Narcissa cheered.

"I'm hungry now," Sirius announced.

"What should we eat?" asked Bellatrix, now digging through the food section of the trunk. "We have bread, meat, lettuce, peppermint toads…"

"Do we have cheddar? I'm in the mood for a grilled cheese sandwich," said Andromeda.

"Yeah!" Narcissa agreed enthusiastically.

"Grilled cheese sandwiches it is, then," said Bellatrix.

While the others were taking out the ingredients, Bellatrix approached Mare.

"You did absolutely fantastic out there," she said softly.

"You too," said Mare, smiling.

"Are you hungry after all that fighting?"

"Absolutely."

"Then let's eat!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Cissy's POV**

* * *

After lunch, they were back to walking. Narcissa was still on edge, keeping an eye out for menacing creatures. She had her wand at the ready in her hand. Andromeda was just as alert as she was.

"What other creatures do you reckon we'll face?" asked Regulus.

"I'm guessing boggarts, dementors, and doxies, among others," said Bellatrix.

"Challenge accepted," Mare laughed.

Arthur shuddered. "Dementors are supposed to be quite nasty, though. I heard that when you come across one, you feel like you'll never be happy again."

"I felt like that in the Silent Stone prison cells," said Mare. "I doubt any dementor can top what I felt then."

"If you take that feeling and multiply it by 10, you've got a dementor," said Regulus.

"How do we fight them?" asked Mare.

"The Patronus charm," said Andromeda. "A projection of happiness and love, which takes the shape of an animal and drives away dementors."

"That's another thing we'll have to practice," Narcissa reflected.

"Well, if we can all cast the Patronus charm when the dementors come, we'll be fine," said Sirius.

"Although the Patronus charm is extremely hard," said Andromeda.

"We'll manage," said Narcissa. "We always do."

"I know how to cast one," said Arthur proudly. "I can teach you. Mine's a weasel, by the way."

"Because you're a Weasley! I get it!" Sirius threw back his head and started laughing uncontrollably, along with Bellatrix.

"Hilarious," Arthur drawled.

"Sorry, mate, but you've got to admit that's funny," said Sirius.

"It kind of is," Narcissa giggled.

"You know what I heard?" said Andromeda in a sing-song voice. "Molly Prewett's patronus is also a weasel."

"Oooh," said Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Mare in unison.

"Is that the redheaded lass he keeps staring at?" asked Regulus.

"That's her alright," Andromeda confirmed.

Arthur turned beet red and stuffed his hands in his pockets, muttering something about immature little kids.

Suddenly, a snowy white owl flew in front of them and dropped a parcel and a letter in front of Bellatrix. Bellatrix picked up the letter, read it, and squealed.

"Yes! Lily and Alice sent me some books about the Timeless Library!"

She opened the parcel and lifted out several thick books. Sirius opened the trunk so she could put them inside.

"I can't wait to read them all!" she said excitedly.

"Honestly, Bella, I have no idea why you aren't in Ravenclaw," Andromeda remarked.

"Speaking of the Hogwarts houses," said Regulus, "where do you think you'd be sorted, Mare?"

"I have no idea," said Mare.

"Are you brave?"

"Only when I have to be."

"Smart?"

"Only when I put my mind to it."

"Loyal?"

Mare just snorted.

"What about cunning?"

Mare smirked. "Absolutely."

"Ambitious?"

"I plan on overthrowing the Silvers, is that ambitious enough?"

"She's definitely a Slytherine," Regulus announced.

They continued to walk and talk for another hour until Arthur said he thought they'd travelled far enough for the day. They set up the tent and took out the spell books. It was time to train now.


	10. Chapter 10

**Andromeda's POV**

* * *

"We need to learn the Patronus charm first," said Regulus.

"Just think of your happiest memory and cast," said Arthur.

Andromeda screwed her eyes shut and thought of the day she got her Hogwarts letter. She thought of her parents' faces, proud and happy. She thought of the excitement building within her, that she would go to the famous school and learn magic!

"Expecto Patronum!" A wisp of white smoke came out of her wand.

"Don't worry, nobody gets it on the first try," said Arthur. "What was the memory you used?"

"The day I got my Hogwarts letter," said Andromeda.

"That's far from strong enough," said Arthur honestly. "Try something involving people you love. That often works."

Andromeda thought of her mom singing her a lullaby when she was five. She remembered how warm and safe and loved she felt. "Expecto Patronum."

A large cloud of white fog emerged, but it didn't take a particular shape.

"We're getting close!" said Arthur excitedly.

Andromeda thought of sneaking into the Slytherine common room to talk with her sisters. She thought of the times they stayed up late into the night talking about anything and everything, and she thought of how much she loved Bellatrix and Narcissa. She felt a surge of warmth and love, and she yelled, "Expecto Patronum!"

A cat leapt out of her wand. She gasped. "It worked!"

"Which memory?" asked Narcissa.

"Those nights when I sneak into the Slytherine common room and we stay up late talking."

"I'll try it," said Narcissa. "Since it's a memory we shared, it should work for the both of us."

She took a deep breath and said, "Expecto Patronum."

A matching cat leapt out of her wand. "Yes!"

They high fived.

Soon, everybody else was working hard at getting their patronus to come. Regulus ended up casting a swan, while Bellatrix and Sirius shared the dog patronus. Mare watched in fascination. Andromeda directed her patronus towards her, and Mare reached out to pet it. The cat actually purred when she did.

"I guess we should practice some other things now," said Arthur.

For the next hour, Andromeda sharpened her defensive skills.

"Who wants to be my target?" she asked. "I need to practice on something."

"I will, but go easy on me," said Bellatrix.

"I make no promises," Andromeda joked. "Congelo!"

Bellatrix wheezed as the ice curse hit her in the chest. Andromeda was about to apologize when Bellatrix hit her with a tickling jinx. Andromeda started laughing uncontrollably.

"Not fair," she giggled.

"Oh, yes, it's fair," Bellatrix laughed. "Finite Incantum."

Andromeda sighed with relief as the curse was lifted.

"I think that's enough for today," said Regulus.

They turned to look at him and gasped. He was clad in a metal suit.

"What are you wearing?" asked Andromeda.

"I transfigured my clothes into shock proof armor so that Mare would have a target to practice her lightning on."

Mare threw another lethal bolt at him.

"See? It doesn't even hurt."

He flicked his wand and turned his clothes back to what they were before.

"So we're done?" asked Narcissa.

"Yes," said Regulus.

She brandished her wand excitedly. "If we practice like this every day, nothing can stop us," she remarked.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sirius's POV**

After training, Sirius found Bellatrix laying on the ground outside the tent, staring up at the sky. Her expression was peaceful, and her dark eyes glittered. Sirius smiled. Bellatrix had always loved to watch clouds passing by. She said that it helped her calm down.

Sirius walked over and lay down next down next to her. They stayed like that for a while, side by side, staring into a sea of swirly white. Sirius tilted his head to look at his cousin. She glanced back at him and grinned widely, as if they were sharing some kind of secret.

 _In a way, we are,_ he thought. At Hogwarts, their relationship was common knowledge, but at Grimmauld Place, it was put under wraps. Sirius hated that. He really did. Bellatrix was one of the only things that made it worth it to stay in that damned prison, and he had to disguise his love for her every time an adult came around. He didn't understand why being in love with his cousin was so wrong.

"Rachel and Jacob were cousins," Bellatrix said suddenly, as if she knew what he was thinking. "You know, from the Bible."

"Most purebloods put honor before the Bible," said Sirius.

"Most, but not all," said Bellatrix softly.

Sirius reached for her hand. Her fingers fit just right between his.

"Not all," Sirius agreed.

"Do you think they'll come looking for us?" asked Bellatrix. There was a faint note of hope in her voice. She wanted the family to care, and he could see that. He also wanted them to care, deep down, but he had gotten better at suppressing those feelings.

"Grandma and Grandpa might," said Sirius, remembering the only two worthwhile adults in the dysfunctional family. Their grandparents were the ones who had given him and the other younger members of the Black generation the idea that maybe purebloods weren't so special, and maybe what was in the soul was much more important than what was in the veins.

Bellatrix's other hand instinctively went to the necklace that their grandma had given her. She played with the bird skull pendant and gave the matter some consideration before saying, "No. Grandma and Grandpa know we have to do this. They know that it's the right thing to do. We need to help get Mare back home."

In the distance, they could see Mare bending lightning into different shapes, once more trying to recreate a portal. Eventually, she gave up and slumped over onto the forest floor, crying in despair. They saw Regulus running to comfort her, wrapping one arm around her and using the other to stroke her hair protectively.

"Should we go to her?" asked Sirius, starting to get up.

"I think Regulus has this under control," said Bellatrix, putting a hand on his arm to stop him.

Sirius suddenly saw the hidden meaning behind her words: Regulus and Mare were falling in love.

"You're right," he declared. "We probably shouldn't interfere."

"Maybe Mare was brought here for a reason," said Bellatrix contemplatively. "Maybe we need her. Maybe she needs us. Or maybe Regulus is just the right guy for her."

"Am I the right guy for you?" said Sirius teasingly.

Bellatrix leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Do you ever honestly doubt that?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Regulus's POV**

* * *

Regulus held Mare until she was finished crying.

"Mare, it's going to be okay," he said quietly. "We're going to get you home."

"I wonder what they're doing back in Norta," Mare whimpered. "I wonder if they've given up hope. The Little Lightning Girl gone missing, possibly forever."

"The Scarlet Guard is probably thrilled," Regulus reasoned. "They must think that you've found a way to escape and now you're just hiding, biding your time."

"Still, I can't help but wonder how things would be different if I had never made that portal."

"'Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are: It might have been,'" Regulus quoted. "We can't change what already happened."

Mare wiped away the last of her tears. "You're right. We can only move forward from here."

"Everything happens for a reason you know," said Regulus. "You were chosen to be the hero of the Reds for a reason. You were chosen to be a newblood for a reason. You ended up in our world for a reason."

"I like being here more than I should," Mare admitted. "I want to go home, yet I don't want to leave."

"You feel guilty about enjoying yourself while others suffer," Regulus acknowledged. He was getting good at predicting her emotions.

"Exactly," said Mare.

"Don't worry," said Regulus. "We're going to get you home. Everything will go back to the way it was."

Regulus could have sworn that he heard her mutter under her breath, "That's what I'm afraid of."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I deleted the last chapter because it was super overkill, and I'm replacing it with this one.**

* * *

Dinner that night was beef stew. It was warm and savory, quite filling after a day of hard work. All six of us had helped to make it.

"We'll rest tomorrow, because it's Sunday," said Andromeda. "It'll be a nice break from travelling."

"We could have a picnic," Narcissa suggested. "I went exploring today, and I found a river we could sit by while we eat. It's real pretty."

"That sounds like fun. I used to go on picnics with my family on weekends. We would go into the field to eat, and my mom would bring sandwiches and sometimes even little cakes. It wasn't much, with money being scarce and all, but those were some of the best days of my life." I smiled at the happy memory.

"Your family sounds fun," said Regulus. "You must miss them terribly."

I did. I had not seen my parents in two weeks.

"I do," I told him, "but I know I'm going to see them again. Even Shade, you know? After my time comes…"

I stopped, completely shocked. When had I ever been this positive? I was not used to seeing the glass half full.

"That's the spirit!" said Andromeda, setting her bowl aside. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."

Most of the others readily agreed, but Regulus and I stayed behind. Regulus claimed that he wanted to wash the dishes, while I just needed time to think.

"Can I help?" I asked him.

"It's fine, I can do it with magic."

The dishes began to wash themselves, and he turned to me.

"What's your life at Hogwarts like?" I asked him.

"I keep to myself, mostly," Regulus shrugged. "My only friends are Sirius and the girls. And, more recently, you."

I did not know why, but the fact that he considered me a friend made me feel warm inside.

"Do your housemates ignore you?" I asked, puzzled.

Regulus smiled sadly. "If only. They hate me for standing by my brother's side."

I sighed. "I guess every universe is divided by prejudice in some way. What do they do to you?"

"Mock me, try to steal my homework, hex me in the hallways if they can get me alone, etc. They didn't do anything to me in the beginning of first year, but Antonin Dolohov made a crack about my brother a few weeks in. I got angry and challenged him to a duel. I won, an injury to his pride. And Slytherins don't like getting their pride injured. After that, he convinced all the Slytherins to hate me, and we've been enemies ever since."

"If I had been there, I would have electrocuted every one of them," I snarled. It made me furious that people were hurting him. He sweet, kind, gentle Regulus who did not deserve any of this…

Wait a minute. What was happening? Why did I feel like this? Surely, I did not have feelings for Regulus. Did I?

He raised his eyebrows in response to my comment.

"Okay, maybe I wouldn't _electrocute_ them," I reasoned. "I'd just shock them. Just enough to knock some sense into them."

Regulus grinned. "I'd like that."

We sat in silence for a while, staring into the basin of water with self-washing dishes. I pondered the change that was coming upon me since I entered this world. I was more positive, I had hope for once. And now there was this thing with Regulus…I could not deny my feelings any longer. I loved him, more than any other boy I had ever met. It was terrifying. I had gotten hurt in love before. I did not want to get hurt again. Besides, Reggie could easily reject me, and wouldn't that be an awkward situation! Both of us in a tight-knit group, trekking through the forest with the knowledge that there were unreciprocated feelings going on. Then I remembered that I was not alone: I had the girls. Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Andromeda. They could give me advice. I considered asking Sirius what his brother thought of me, but decided against it. Sirius would tell Regulus, because brotherly loyalty goes beyond anything. The girls, on the other hand, would help me decide what to do.


	14. Chapter 14

Regulus had never been in love before. Not ever in his life. He watched Sirius and Bellatrix with admiration, wondering what it was like to experience a love so intense. He had listened with care to Narcissa when she confided to him her feelings for Lucius Malfoy, and wished he could relate. He had witnessed Andromeda and Ted Tonks flirting, on the brink of taking their warm friendship to the next level, and imagined himself in their shoes with some mysterious girl. He had laughed at Arthur and Molly, always running in circles, each totally oblivious to the feelings of the other, and he had contemplated what it was that kept people in love so uncertain. He had greatly anticipated the trials of love, but had never encountered them. That is, until Mare Barrow came into his life.

She was the most fascinating girl he had ever met. She was wild, yet composed. Fierce, yet sweet. He identified his feelings for her as friendship until that moment, staring into the basin of self-washing dishes. She meant more than that to him. Much, much more.

They had spent a great deal of time talking in the past few days. He had gotten ample time to get to know her, and he knew she was the one for him. They could hold a conversation for hours and never tire. He could spend an eternity by her side and still find comfort in her smile. The knowledge that she might not feel the same pained him greatly.

Regulus had finally encountered the trials of love. And he was ready to face them.


	15. Chapter 15

**Mare's POV**

* * *

The next day, we woke up early to plan the picnic.

"I don't like planning," Narcissa announced. "It's stressful."

"Well, after this, we have to prepare the food, so you can have more stress," Bellatrix teased.

"Yay!" shouted Sirius. "Stress on stress on stress!"

"Can we eat breakfast first?" asked Andromeda. "I can't think when I'm hungry."

"I'll fry up some bacon and eggs," I volunteered.

"Why don't we have some toast as well?" Arthur offered. "I believe we have some bread and butter left."

"I only eat bread with olive oil," Andromeda informed him.

"Okay, princess. I'll be sure to fetch the olive oil."

"Hey, why don't we just make some pancakes while we're at it," said Regulus. "What else would we do with the maple syrup?"

The reason for this extravagance was simple: we wanted to enjoy our last day eating normal food. Bellatrix had originally packed enough food for both of us to last a week, but with seven of us, it would not do. We would have to scavenge for our meals after this.

After breakfast, we prepared the picnic foods. We made chicken noodle soup, quiche Lorraine, a lettuce and tomato salad, raspberries, and chocolate chip cookies.

"I think we're ready," said Regulus.

* * *

Narcissa led us to the river she had spoken of before.

"Isn't it lovely?" she sang out happily.

It was really quite a sight. The crystal clear waters rushed as far as the eye could see. If you looked closely enough, tiny rainbows sprang out from the mist as the sunlight hit it. All around the river, there was life: the land was lush with plants, butterflies flitted from flower to flower, and birds sang, perched in the tall trees. In the distance, by a bush of pink hydrangeas, there were large, mossy stones that offered shelter from the splashing water, and an excellent view as well.

"There," I said, pointing. "I think I found us a place to eat."

We clambered to the top and wasted no time in beginning the meal.

"Some say that the Timeless Library was built when Earth was first created," Narcissa reflected. "Would that make this the Garden of Eden?"

"I think not. Humans can't enter the Garden of Eden," I replied, biting into my quiche.

Arthur looked up, surprised. "You know about the Garden of Eden?"

"Why shouldn't I? It's the most classic Bible stories. When I was younger, it had been my favorite," I smiled wryly.

"How curious," Regulus reflected. "I always saw it as a kind of tragedy. Humanity falling prey to evil, distancing themselves from God."

"I liked how everyone was equal. Adam and Eve didn't care about what color their blood was. It caused the story to resonate with me," I explained. "I only understood the true meaning when I was older."

Andromeda exchanged a glance with Arthur, appearing to pick up on his train of thought. "So there's Christianity where you're from?"

"Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, some polytheistic branches, and many other religions. There are atheists as well, although that isn't really a religion. Anyway, I'm a Christian myself. My friend, Kilorn, is Christian. My entire family is Christian."

"Even in an alternate universe, the religions are the same," Arthur mused. "It's amazing! Tell me, are there different branches of Christianity in your world, too?"

"Yes," I told him. "Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Baptists, Presbyterianism, Evangelicalism, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Quakers…I can't remember anymore, but I know that they split into even more branches from there. Anyway, I'm a Catholic."

"It's the same in both worlds," Andromeda breathed.

"We're Catholic, too," said Sirius cheerfully, not picking up on the awestruck

vibe.

"How could two different universes develop the same religions?" Bellatrix mused.

Regulus put his head into his hands. "It's too much to think about!"

While he wasn't looking, Arthur snuck forward and stole the cookie off his plate.

"Hey!" said Regulus, looking up.

He pushed Arthur into the river, laughing, until Arthur grabbed him by the ankle as he fell. They both landed in the water with a splash. Bellatrix dove in to join them, and Sirius jumped in after her. I was left with Narcissa and Andromeda, and none of us had any intention of going in as of now. The time was right to confess the pressing matter on my mind.

"If I told you something, would you promise to keep it a secret?" I said slowly.

"Yes," said Narcissa whole heartedly.

"Yes, unless it involves something that endangers you or someone else," Andromeda answered professionally, very much the psychiatrist.

Narcissa gave her a look.

"I'm kidding! Go ahead and spill," Andromeda said encouragingly.

I thought it was best to just say it and get it over with. "I'm in love with Regulus."

To my chagrin, neither of them looked surprised. Narcissa smirked.

"Yeah, I saw that coming," Andromeda giggled.

I cringed. "Was I that obvious?"

"Absolutely. But he was being obvious, too, so don't worry," Andromeda patted my shoulder.

"You think he might like me back?" I could not disguise the hope in my voice.

"Darling, I _know_ he fancies you back," Narcissa elbowed me playfully. "I can see the way he looks at you."

I grinned. "Wow. I've just…I've never had a group of friends to talk about this kind of thing with before."

"We're here for you, doll," Narcissa and Andromeda hugged me.

"You can tell us anything," said Andromeda.

I decided to tell them about the nagging feelings in the pit of my stomach. "There's also…" I tried to think of a way to explain to them. Again, I had never had a group of friends to listen and give advice before. "Well, there's Cal," I finished simply.

"You feel like you're betraying your boyfriend by liking Regulus," Narcissa said, stating my feelings in a way more accurate than I could at the time.

"Exactly."

Andromeda nodded slowly. "Mare, what would you do if Cal was here?"

"I'd break up with him," I answered immediately.

"So, here's the thing: you feel guilty only because he isn't here. If he was, you would do the right thing and end the relationship before pursuing another one. It isn't because of a lack of morals, but because of a lack of means, that you can't do that now."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"The only reason you aren't breaking up with Cal is because there isn't a way to reach him," Andromeda explained, "not because you're a bad person. If you start dating Regulus here and break up with Cal when you get home, it's not wrong."

I brightened a little. "But see, there's another thing: I don't believe in leaving someone on a whim. If I break up with every boyfriend I have just because I like someone else, I'll be jumping from guy to guy without stopping."

"Yes, and I agree with you," said Narcissa. "But let me ask you this: were you happy with Cal? Was it really a good relationship?"

I pondered that. Cal and I got along fine, but I could not remember the last time I felt quite right at his side. I recalled the Scarlet Guard camp, and how we had argued, how he would not listen. I considered the fact that maybe we were too worried about the war with Silvers to worry about our relationship…but no. Adversity was the test to every relationship, and ours failed miserably. If it had really been a good relationship, we would have been each other's emotional support. I imagined Regulus in Cal's place, and I knew we would have been strong together through everything. That led me to realize that I had always felt like I had to justify myself to Cal. I did not have to justify anything to Regulus. He understood everything the moment I said it, and I understood him in turn.

"Not at all," I mused, in answer to Narcissa's question.

"There you go!" said Narcissa enthusiastically. "You're leaving a relationship that wasn't that healthy and progressing to a better one. There's nothing wrong with _that_."

"What are we talking about?" came Bellatrix's voice.

We looked down and saw her emerging from the water. She looked like a mermaid. Beads of water fell from her dark curls, which were flung over her shoulders carelessly, and from her long eyelashes. Her pale skin glistened, and her clothes had been transfigured into a bikini.

"The boys were having a water fight, and I got bored," Bellatrix explained. "They don't fight fair."

Narcissa looked at me expectantly, and I nodded. Narcissa began to tell my story, much to Bellatrix's delight.

"I knew it!" she squealed. "I knew it all along!"

"We all did," Andromeda laughed.

"Now that all of you know, shall we go swimming?" I offered. "We can beat the boys."

"Let's go!" said Bellatrix enthusiastically.

And so we did.


	16. Chapter 16

**Bella's POV**

* * *

After the water fight (of course, the girls won), they headed back to camp. Bellatrix planned to hunt for their dinner that night.

"What do you think we'll find?" she asked Sirius. "Deer? Rabbit?"

"I hope there are cows," Arthur announced. "I'm in the mood for a good steak."

"There are no cows randomly meandering through forests, you fool," Andromeda rolled her eyes. "And we can't continue to eat what we're 'in the mood' for. This is pure survival."

"Andromeda, be nice," Bellatrix chided. "Don't call Arthur a fool."

"Sorry," said Andromeda sheepishly.

Bellatrix could hardly wait to start the hunt. She and Sirius had hunted together before from time to time, tracking down game. It was quite a useful skill, especially when the family situation was getting out of hand, and they just needed a break from eating with the adults. Arthur knew how to hunt as well, but it was more of her and Sirius's thing. She remembered those special evenings, walking through the dark forest, hands locked tightly together. After they had hunted down the game, they would build a fire, cook it, and have a picnic in the forest with the others. In a way, this whole process was familiar to them.

"Can be the official plant gatherer?" asked Narcissa, shaking her from her thoughts. "I'm good at recognizing plants."

That was true. Narcissa had spotted wall peppers growing on the boulders they ate lunch on, and she was now carrying a bag of them.

"That would be most helpful," said Bellatrix.

They reached the tent, and the expedition began. They were divided into food gathering parties: Bellatrix and Sirius would hunt wildlife, Narcissa, Regulus and Mare would gather plants and fungi, and Andromeda and Arthur would fish by the river. And so they were off.


	17. Chapter 17

**Narcissa's POV**

* * *

"Wintercress," said Mare, holding up a handful of the bright yellow flowered plants.

"Very good," Narcissa smiled. "You're catching on. Mind you, we can only eat the leaves."

"Can we eat these buttercups?" asked Regulus, pointing to a cluster of the flowers.

"Not unless you want extremely painful intestinal inflammation," said Narcissa, steering him away from the buttercups.

"There ought to be some more edible plants by the river," said Mare.

They went back to the river, laughing and discussing trivialities. Narcissa wanted it to stay like this forever. She had gotten too attached to Mare to consider sending her off to never see her again. And there was also the thing between Mare and Regulus. No, it was impossible to part ways. They would have to cross that bridge when they came to it, but they were not going to be forced apart. If some feat of destiny or divine intervention brought them together, it would want them to stay together.

When they finally came to the river bank, Narcissa cried out with joy. There were edible plants everywhere. How could she have missed them? They immediately set to gathering the food. There was water chestnut, sweet flag, and arrowhead. A little ways away they could see Andromeda and Arthur fishing. Andromeda was attempting to read _1984_ while she fished, the book balancing precariously on her knees.

"What are you doing, Andromeda?"

Andromeda looked up and grinned. "Reading."

Narcissa could not help but smile. Andromeda was such a bookworm.

"How's the book?" asked Regulus.

Andromeda blushed. "It's um…rather scandalous."

Everyone immediately rushed over, clamoring to read the offending passage.

"Knock it off, guys," Andromeda shut the book and set it aside. "Don't be so immature."

"You're the one who's reading the book."

"What book?" asked Sirius, emerging with Bellatrix from the woods. They were lugging the dead body of a deer with them. It was levitating behind them as they walked.

"Arthur wanted a cow," Mare giggled at the sight of their hunt.

"Where is Arthur anyway?" asked Regulus, looking around. The redhead had disappeared.

"We're never going to find a cow, guys," Andromeda facepalmed.

"Hey guys!" shouted Arthur. "I found a cow!"

They turned and saw him standing behind them with the said cow.

"Merlin's beard!" whispered Narcissa.

"How did you find that cow?" asked Andromeda.

"I don't know, it was kind of just standing there."

"This keeps getting weirder and weirder," Mare laughed.

"What are we going to do with it?" asked Bellatrix. "I'm not killing that poor cow."

"You just killed a deer!"

"But I like cows more!"

"Guys, just decide what we're going to do, already!" said Regulus.

"I like this cow. I wish to keep it," said Arthur dramatically.

"I suppose it could give us milk in the mornings. That would be useful," said Mare.

"Then it's settled. Let's go home to the tent," said Sirius.

Narcissa noticed how he called the tent home, and found herself agreeing. Their new lifestyle, nomadic as it was, was more comforting and familiar than their life at Grimmauld Place. She smiled and pet the cow on the top of the head as they walked home.


	18. Chapter 18

**Andromeda's POV**

Andromeda sat in the shade of an oak tree, a quill poised in her hand, ready to write. She was pondering how to respond to Ted's letter.

Ted Tonks was her only friend besides her family, and she secretly fancied him. They wrote letters back and forth over the summer, and she had just gotten to telling him about the trip to the Timeless Library. He responded immediately, enthusiastic as always, asking how it was going so far and if she needed any help with food rations or anything of the like (his parents owned a bakery, so he was more than happy to send her some of the stock). Andromeda smiled to herself as she read his letter over once more. Setting it down, she began to write about all the things they had seen and done so far. She was always nervous before beginning to write a letter, wanting it to be perfect and witty and all that, but once she began writing from her heart, everything else faded to grey. It just felt right, like having a conversation. She was so absorbed in her letter, she did not notice her sisters and Mare walking up to her.

"Who are you writing to?" came Mare's sudden voice.

Andromeda jumped. "I didn't see you there."

"Ted Tonks," Narcissa answered casually for her. "The love of her life."

"Shut up, Cissy."

"It's true!"

Andromeda rolled her eyes to the back of her head. That always annoyed Narcissa out of her wits. Before the bickering could continue, however, Bellatrix stepped in.

"Why don't you tell Mare who Ted Tonks is, Andromeda," she said, giving both girls a look of warning.

Andromeda explained that Ted Tonks was her friend from school, who she fancied, and she was writing a letter to him. She told Mare how she loved his letters, how it always brightened her day to see his barn owl flying through her window with a new letter.

"Mind you, I have to burn his letters as soon as I finish reading them," she said sadly. "Mum and Dad would flip if they knew about my letters to a Muggleborn."

Andromeda knew that it was folly, utter folly, to think that they could be together without her parents finding out and getting angry. Sirius and Bellatrix were one thing: they could leave the house to go on a date, and their parents would assume it to be friendship. But Andromeda with a Muggleborn? Even friendship would be forbidden, let alone romance. And Andromeda knew full well that the secrecy of her sister's relationship with her cousin was well past its expiration date. Sooner or later, someone would write to her parents from school, commenting on the couple. What Andromeda liked to think was that it would be the day that Bellatrix admitted to being a blood traitor, somehow setting them all free. What Andromeda did not like to think was that everything would end in shambles. They were in too deep to avoid that.

Andromeda looked up at Mare as she was thinking all this, and their eyes met. They shared a look, in which Mare seemed to be telling her, _It's okay. I know how you feel, and I know everything is going to be alright._

Andromeda smiled, starting to believe that, indeed, everything would be alright. What she did not know was that Mare would be the key to saving them, all of them, from the disaster that the future could hold.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sirius's POV**

Sirius and Bellatrix prepared the deer meat together while Regulus prepared the vegetables. Arthur was milking his cow, whom he had named Buttercup. The newly christened Buttercup was kindly, with big, sweet, dark eyes. She let them milk her, pet her, sit on top of her as much as they pleased.

Sirius and Bellatrix continued to work, chatting away happily. They minced wild garlic and fried it with the deer meat.

"This is a bit of alright," Bellatrix remarked. "I like making my own food."

Regalus reached over and scooped up a fried piece of deer meat with his fork. "Yum!" he exclaimed after tasting it.

Sirius stole a piece of cooked arrowhead tuber in turn.

"This is also quite good," Sirius grinned.

"Don't eat it all!" said Narcissa. "There won't be any left for us!"

She came running out of the tent with Andromeda and Mare.

"We were the ones cooking!" said Arthur.

"To be fair, milking a cow isn't cooking," said Mare, sitting down by Regulus.

"I don't need your sass right now, Mare," Arthur joked.

Bellatrix laughed, spooning deer meat and arrowhead tubers onto their plates. Arthur poured milk into their cups.

"Tomorrow we'll be back on the road," said Andromeda after they said grace.

"Sounds good," said Mare. "How long do you think the journey will take to the Timeless Library from here?"

"A couple more days," said Bellatrix. "I wonder what we'll face next."


	20. Chapter 20

**Regulus's POV**

* * *

The next day, they were back on the road. Lily and Alice had sent a parcel of breakfast foods to Bellatrix, so that was their morning sustenance. Regulus had almost forgotten that they were in the Zone of Trials and it was actually dangerous, when they stumbled on a clearing filled with small, floating balls of blue light.

"What's that?" asked Mare worriedly.

"Nothing I've ever seen before," said Regulus, equally frightened.

"Let's check it out!" said Sirius, striding in.

"I wouldn't-" Bellatrix began.

But it was too late. As soon as Sirius approached one of the balls, it turned into a swarm of locusts. Sirius screamed like a little girl and ducked out of their way.

"Locusts," said Bellatrix softly. "His greatest fear."

She then whipped out her wand and yelled, "Riddikulus!"

The locusts immediately split up, then crashed into each other, disappearing with a burst of confetti. Sirius started laughing so hard, the whole apparition fell apart with a bang.

"Boggarts," Arthur explained. "They turn into your greatest fear, but you kill them by laughing. Making them humorous. I guess this is their true form."

Mare tried to zap them with her lightning, but they simply absorbed it.

"Leave this one to us," said Andromeda, patting her hand and running into the fight.

She encountered one that promptly turned the ground around her into quick sand.

"Riddikulus," she yelled.

The quick sand turned into a swimming pool filled with jelly beans.

Sirius proved to have the greatest sense of humor among them. He made Arthur's evil clown start opera singing, to the delight of all seven of them. Then, a few seconds later, Narcissa's shrill scream could be heard. Regulus saw her running from a masked killer holding an ax. Sirius turned that ax into a baton, and the masked man soon became a circus performer.

Regulus could see Mare getting restless. She wanted to help them, and it she was stuck where she was. He gave her a small smile, attempting to comfort her. She smiled back, making him a little dizzy. He did not even notice a boggart floating over to him. The boggart turned into his family and Mare crying for help, and he could not get to them. Regulus almost choked on his own breath. How was he supposed to make this funny?

"Regulus!" Mare cried out. He could hear her footsteps coming to him.

"Riddikulus!" someone yelled, turning the mirage into something that made everyone else laugh. Regulus was still in shock, trying to take deep breaths.

"It's okay, Reggie. We're right here," Sirius hugged him, calming him down.

In the distance, Bellatrix seemed to be dueling with a sadistic version of herself, boggarts forgotten.

"Bellatrix, she isn't real!" Andromeda yelled.

The next scream that Regulus heard turned his blood to ice. It was Mare.

She was standing face to face with a pale woman in a lengthy white dress. There was a crown sitting on top of her platinum blond hair, which was done up in a side braid. She wore a sardonic smile, and her cold blue eyes were fixed on Mare's.

"Get out of my head!" Mare yelped.

"Mare!" Regulus yelled, running towards her. "Riddikulus!"

The evil queen was shrunk into a two-inch version of herself, which Regulus stepped on. Mare started laughing, more out of hysteria than anything, but it worked. Regulus hugged her, trying to offer whatever comfort he could. All the others had soon run to her as well.

"What happened, Mare?" asked Narcissa softly.

"Elara," Mare whispered, tears streaming down her face.

"That was the queen?" asked Regulus, recalling what Mare had told when she first came into their world.

"Yes," said Mare. "Horrifying, isn't she? I always hated it when she was in my head."

Bellatrix seemed to have a sudden idea. "Mare, I think we're going to have to teach you Occlumency."


	21. Chapter 21

**Mare's POV**

"Try to block me out of your mind," Bellatrix instructed. "Force me to leave it."

"Are you sure this will work?" I asked warily. "I'm not a witch."

"I've read about cases where wizards taught Muggle acquaintances to use Occlumency," said Bellatrix. "There was a group of Dark wizards once: The Mind Invaders of 1931. They preyed on Muggles, primarily, who supposedly couldn't fight against them. However, some wizards taught the Muggles to defend themselves. It turned out that they were indeed capable of Occlumency: blocking those that intrude the mind."

"Let's get to it, then," I said, cracking my knuckles.

Bellatrix extended her wand and said an incantation. With that, she was in my mind. My primal instinct was terror. I hated the feeling of invasion I had grown used to with Elara. Despite this, I soon realized that Bellatrix had a very different presence in my mind. She was gentle, almost cautious. That made it easier on me. However, as random memories started flipping through my mind, I remembered why we were doing this: to help me block Whispers.

 _Farley is being tortured by the Shiver, and she grits her teeth as her arm is pierced by red icicles. Her own blood is being frozen…Maven and I are taking the Undertrain for the first time, we're about to discover the truth about the South…_

I pinpointed Bellatrix's exact location in my thoughts, then wrapped my conscious around her and ejected her from my mind. My eyes snapped open, and I saw her stumbling backwards. I winced. I hadn't meant to hurt her, but Bellatrix seemed overjoyed just the same.

"That was brilliant!" she informed me. "That usually takes people a long time to learn, but you were able to single me out and block me after only thirty seconds!"

"I've had plenty of experience with my mind being invaded," I laughed humorlessly. "I've learned to sense where the imposter is. I never realized I could actually remove them."

"Well, now you can," said Bellatrix happily. "I'm going to do it again, but this time, I won't go easy on you, okay?"

I hadn't even opened my mouth to respond, and Bellatrix had already dived into my head. I realized that she was doing this on purpose, to have me ready when I least expect it. Then the memories started coming again.

" _Too scared to fight?" Evangeline is goading me as I try to refuse her challenge in Training…Elane and Sonya are greeting me on my first day in the castle, with cold smiles and narrowed eyes…A bullet pierces my stomach as I send my lightening blazing through the metal rail, knocking out the healer…Maven is kissing me in the dark balcony in the theater, in the innocent times when I was naïve and he seemed to be kind and gentle…I'm walking into Julian's room for the first time, taking in the sight of the ancient books that line the walls…Walsh is telling me that she hopes I become queen. The Red Queen…_

I pulled myself together and forcefully yanked Bellatrix out of my head. I gasped when I saw her hurled backwards into a tree.

"I'm sorry," I told her sheepishly.

"Your mind packs a fantastic punch," she laughed, waving her wand and healing her bruises. "It's okay, Mare. The important thing is that you're getting better. Well, maybe you weren't so quick on the uptake this time, but you'll be ready in the future."

"You're the best of the best, Bellatrix," I said, walking over to help her up. "Hey, you know those people you told me about? The wizards that are born with the ability to see thoughts?"

"A legilimens," Bellatrix nodded.

"Are you one of them?" I asked, sitting down on a log.

She sat down next to me. "No. A legilimens can see into someone's mind at will, without an incantation. I only know the spell."

"Do they teach you this in school?"

She shook her head. "It would be too dangerous to give scores of hormonal teenagers the ability to see in other people's heads. Imagine the chaos! Also, it's really hard."

"Where did you learn, then?" I asked curiously.

She flashed me a mischievous grin. "A little trip to the Restricted Section…"

I snorted. "Of course."

She laughed, flicking her wand as she did so. Before I knew it, she was in my mind again. I pushed her out before she could see anything.

"Very good!" she applauded me as she fell off of the log.

We kept practicing for an hour more. By the end, I was able to block her at the slightest nudge into my mind. We walked back to camp, tired and happy as twilight set in on us.


	22. Chapter 22

The group walked through a swirling fog that went up to their knees. Bellatrix already had her wand out and ready for conflict.

"What'll it be this time?" Narcissa wondered aloud.

Mare raised her hand, energy crackling in her open palm. "Nothing we can't handle."

Then the dementors came, clad in ratty grey cloaks, drawing icy breaths, and emanating the foul smell of rotten flesh. Bellatrix could feel a twinge of melancholy that increased with every centimeter that the dementors travelled towards them, until she was tempted to double over weeping. Hopelessness and despair washed over her soul.

 _This is pointless, we'll never make it, why do we bother?_

She got ahold of herself, remembering what they had to do. She thought of the day that she and Sirius had been staring up at the clouds and talking, and she yelled, "Expecto Patronum!"

A dog leapt out of her wand and charged into the dementors, driving them back. The others followed suit with their own patronuses, and Mare's lightning surged through the crowd. Bellatrix then noticed something odd about Mare.

"They don't affect you," she said plainly.

Mare shook her head. "I don't feel anything. Is that weird?"

Bellatrix tilted her head. "I wouldn't call it weird, just different. Everyone in this world gets affected by dementors, Muggle or wizard."

"In my world, there aren't any soul sucking demons," Mare quipped.

"Fair point," said Bellatrix, laughing.

The group walked forward, their patronuses having cleared away the dementors in front. Then they were overcome with another chilling sensation of despair. Bellatrix sank to her knees.

 _I'll never be good, I'm destined for evil, I'll turn out like the rest of my family…_

Bellatrix spun around and saw a hoard of dementors closing in from behind. She sent her patronus back out.

"Is this another Gemini curse?" asked Arthur.

"I don't think so, but it won't hurt to cast the counter curse," said Andromeda. "Ultimum Contrarium!"

The wizards continued to cast Patronus charms, and Mare continued to blast them with lightning, reducing them to ash. At last, they had eradicated the evil creatures. Bellatrix looked around at her companions and nodded to them.

"Shall we continue?" she queried.

"Let's go," said Narcissa, walking forward.

The group confidently walked on, as if the battle that had just occurred was a mere trifle.


	23. Chapter 23

**Mare's POV**

* * *

Twilight washed over the sky, heralding the end to another exciting day. We had fought against dementors and gone through another intense training session to fortify our skills. Of course, I already had my lightning completely under my control, but it was nice to play with it a bit and stretch my abilities. Today, I made a web of interlocking strands of electricity, which spread over our entire campsite. Everyone stopped practice to look at it, awed by its supernatural beauty. I felt a flicker of pride in my chest at how far I had come in developing my ability. The pride faded, however, when Bellatrix decided to kick my butt in a boot camp session. She convinced me to spar with her, arguing that footwork was an important part of any battle, no matter what powers were being used.

"Suppose a Silence takes your lightning away, or one of us loses our wand?" she asked. "We need these skills to _survive_."

I knew this from experience, of course, but I was more than a little out of practice. Bellatrix saw that, bless her, and wanted to help me get back on track. From hand-to-hand combat, dodging spells, and running laps, my friend had rendered me a sweaty mess by the end. Narcissa constructed a makeshift shower like she did every night, and I was more than happy to take a long, magic bath.

That was what brought me to the edge of our campsite, my hair still dripping, contemplating the twilight. It was the perfect shade of periwinkle blue.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked Reggie. "I could stare at the sky all day."

"Even when it's cloudy out?" I queried.

"I like the clouds," he said. "My grandma once told me that angels like cloudy days, because they go out and sit on those clouds and watch over us."

I laughed. "That's sweet."

I always liked those kinds of fanciful notions. I've indulged in them for as long as I can remember, especially in my pre-lightning-girl days. There was precious little to hope for in those days, so why not draw on whimsical fantasies to keep us going? It may have been a cloudy day, but that only meant that the angels were watching over us.

"How ironic that the angels only watch over us when it's cloudy," I mused.

"Ironic or meaningful?" asked Reggie.

I bit at the inside of my cheek, mulling that over. _The angels are watching over us when it's cloudy._ An odd feeling came over me, a feeling of déjà vu mixed with the frustration of forgetting something you were about to say and churning through your mind trying to find it. That phrase had some great significance in my life, I could tell. I just couldn't quite place what it was.

"It's both ironic and meaningful," I declared. "And that's what makes all the difference."

"Sorry to interrupt the Shakespearean conversation, but we've got to get cooking," said Sirius jokingly. "Mare; you, Cissy, and Andromeda have chef's duty."

"I thought we had dish washing duty."

"That was yesterday. Today, you cook."

"Wait, I thought we were switching once a week," Regulus protested.

"We were, until Arthur decided that it wasn't fair, since we'll be there in less than a week," Sirius explained.

Lately, we had worked out this haywire little system to organize meals. I could tell that it wouldn't last long, and soon we'd be back to our usual chaotic mess of seven people running around the kitchen, each working according to his or her ability. Personally, I preferred it that way.

"Okay, I'll go whip something up," I told them.

"Last night's leftover venison is in the second drawer of the cooler," Sirius informed me.

"Thanks. Bye, guys!"

The cooler was Arthur's invention, another Muggle-inspired piece. It was a transfigured boulder, charmed to shift its temperature to the ideal coolness for the food inside each drawer (yes, this cooler had drawers. Go figure).

* * *

As the twins and I fried the venison slabs in garlic, I looked up at Reggie smiling. He was talking to his brother, his chocolate colored eyes lighting up in enthusiasm when Sirius said something that interested him.

Andromeda swatted my arm. "You can look, you can cook."

I snorted. "Says the girl who keeps Ted Tonk's letters in her pocket and pauses to read them when she thinks we aren't looking."

Andromeda blinked. "How did-"

I held up the letter in question, smirking wickedly. "I used to be a master pickpocket, don't forget."

"Why, you cunning little devil!" Andromeda exclaimed.

I couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an insult. I decided it was a compliment.

"I try my best," I flipped my hair extravagantly.

"She's had years of practice being sly, haven't you, Mare?" Narcissa tasered me, making me jump and cringe at the same time. " _You_ got a head start on us."

And then it hit me like a truck full of bricks. Like I had foolishly attempted to cross the street when a cement truck was hurtling down the road at full speed. I was eighteen in reality. In this world, I looked thirteen. I felt thirteen. I acted thirteen. But I had lived eighteen years. There was no denying that.

I looked up at my friends in horror. "Guys…you realize that I'm five years older than you, right?"

"That's what I was just saying, silly," Narcissa laughed.

"I'm five years older than Reggie," I said quietly.

"Oh," they both said at the same time.

A short pause ensued. Narcissa was the first to break it.

"Not in this world, you're not."

"What?"

"You're thirteen in this world," Narcissa explained. "Who's to say we aren't eighteen in yours?"

"I-I don't understand," I sighed. "How can one person have two different ages? It doesn't make sense."

"You know what doesn't make sense?" said Andromeda, cottoning on. "A girl morphing into her thirteen-year-old self for no reason whatsoever."

"There's got to be an explanation," said Narcissa.

"Well, what do you think it is?" I asked, awed and intrigued by the idea.

"It could be anything," said Andromeda. "Maybe souls have bilocation, and each alternate universe has a copy of a person, but the universes came into existence at different times, so the souls have different ages."

"Or maybe crossing the boundaries to different worlds warps the fourth dimension- time, that is- and now you're actually thirteen…" said Narcissa.

"That's crazy!" I nearly yelled.

"It is," Andromeda smiled. "But then again, so is everything that's happened to us thus far."

* * *

Dinner was a talkative affair, the atmosphere buzzing with the brilliance of Narcissa and Andromeda's soul-time-age-or-something theories. The seven of us bounced ideas off each other, eagerly discussing the possibilities. After that, we all wandered off in our own directions. Most of my friends went to bed, giving me time to walk in solitude and gather my thoughts.

The warm summer breeze caressed my exposed skin and played with my hair, inviting me to prolong my stroll. I gladly accepted the invitation. As I made my way further into the forest, I thought. I thought about who I was becoming, and marveled at the effect that this place had on me. This place, or these people? Was it both? Or perhaps it was this _experience_ ; the place, people, and events compounded into one. In any case, I had changed for the better.

I did some more thinking. I thought about the subtle shift in my outlook on life, how everything seemed more positive these days. I thought about the large knot of anxiety that had been lifted off my chest. I thought about the mysterious new quality that this journey had imbued me with, something like courage infused with hope. It seemed to vibrate through our army of seven, enabling us to face any challenge without the old misery I used to feel.

Yes, I was different now. I was dauntless.

I began to hear faint music playing.

 _That's odd,_ I thought, following the sound. It gradually grew louder as I moved in the right direction.

" _Cuz baby there ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep me from gettin' to you."_

The lyrics were certainly sweet. I payed close attention, so as to remember them. Eventually, I stumbled into a clearing.

The source of the music turned out to be a stereo. I saw Bellatrix and Sirius dancing, and I ducked behind a tree to avoid intruding on their moment. Curiosity, however, detained me from leaving.

Laughing, the pair moved to the music guided only by the beat and their sense of rhythm. They had no formal set of steps, from what I could tell. Occasionally, Sirius would spin Bellatrix around, and her curls would fan out behind her elegantly.

In that instance, I was filled with a sort of protective urge, and a fondness for the couple. They were so happy. Purely, unabashedly happy. I knew that in their normal lives, they were restricted and suffocated, forced to mask their feelings for each other. But right now, in this moment, they were liberated from their cage. They were wild and free. All I knew now was that I had to make this moment last forever for them. I had to shield them from reentering their prison.

I had come into this world for a reason, which I believe was twofold. Both me and the Black family had demons that needed to be confronted. They'd already helped me fight mine off. Now it was my turn to help them.


	24. Chapter 24

**Bella's POV**

* * *

Bellatrix awoke with a smile on her face, memories of last night's dance playing over in her head. Casting her eyes around the tent, she saw that it was empty.

"I've woken up late, haven't I?" she said aloud.

She rushed out of the tent without bothering to tidy herself up. Andromeda surveyed her disheveled hair and sleep hazed eyes, and immediately passed her a mug of coffee.

"You look like hell," she informed Bellatrix.

"Good morning to you, too," said Bellatrix, sitting down.

They both laughed.

"What's the joke?" asked Narcissa, walking over to them with a handful of wild strawberries in one hand and a croissant in the other (these days, breakfast was comprised solely of coffee, wild fruits, and the baked goods that Ted Tonks or one of Bella's friends sent).

"I was just telling Bella that she looked like hell," Andromeda began.

"But still beautiful," Sirius interjected, brushing her hair behind her ear.

Bellatrix went red. They had been together for ages, and he was still able to make her blush, the flirt!

In the distance, Arthur was milking his cow. Not far from him, Mare and Regulus were conversing animatedly. The two of them were rarely seen apart these days. Bellatrix smiled. They'd be together within a week, no doubt. She happily bit into a coconut macaron (Mmm…Ted's parents really knew what they were doing). She wished that these days would last forever.

 _Maybe they could,_ a wise little voice in her head whispered, _if only you found the courage to face your parents…_

Bellatrix anxiously ignored the idea. This dilemma was her Achille's heel, and she found it easier just to immerse herself in the moment to put off the inevitable.

It would take a miracle to make her think otherwise. A miracle she would find in the little lightning girl of Norta.

* * *

Mare approached Bellatrix after breakfast.

"I need to talk to you," she said quietly.

Bellatrix looked up curiously. "I'm all ears."

Together, they sat down on a log.

"I've been thinking about how all this is going to end," said Mare. "Me getting home, fixing my kingdom, and such. I was thinking…maybe I'd like to stay in your world. I can't just leave you guys. You're the closest friends I've ever had."

"That's wonderful, Mare!" said Bellatrix enthusiastically. This was the best news she's received in a while. She had gotten quite attached to Mare.

"But there's something that's been pressing my mind lately," she continued. "Bellatrix, how long are you going to hide the truth?"

Bellatrix knew exactly what Mare was referring to.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "Part of me wants to live what I believe, but the other part of me just wants my parents to love me."

"Look at me, Bella," Mare grabbed her hand. "If they truly love you, they will accept you. They won't like what you believe, and they won't support it. They may even try to convince you that your way is wrong. But if their love for you is real, they won't shun you or mistreat you. Trust me, if you really think that the truth will make them hate you, living a lie will only preserve an illusion."

Her words rang true, and Bellatrix felt something shift in her. She wasn't entirely convinced, she wasn't about to proclaim her blood traitor status, but she was conscious now. Her eyes were open, and her dilemma seemed less frightening. It wasn't the end of her troubles, not yet. But it was the beginning of a solution.


	25. Chapter 25

**Reggie's POV**

* * *

"You love her."

Regulus looked up from his book, _Constant Vigilance_ , by famed Auror, Mad Eye Moody. It was a thrilling read about being prepared to face the Dark Arts in every day scenarios.

"Who?" he asked, pretending not to know what Sirius was referring to.

Sirius snorted, sitting next to him. "Mare, of course."

"Okay. Yes, I caught feelings for her," Regulus confessed.

"So, tell me, when are you going to tell her?"

Regulus looked at his feet. "I don't know."

"But you will eventually, right?"

Reggie didn't answer. He was scared to admit his feelings to Mare. Didn't she have a boyfriend back in Norta?

"She told us she was planning to leave her boyfriend, remember?" Sirius reminded him, as if reading his mind. "Told us about a million times. Always in your presence." He leaned back against his trunk. "She likes you, man. She's dropping hints all over the place."

Regulus sat up a little straighter, an idea occurring to him. "What did you do when you told Bella how you felt about her?"

Sirius smiled a little self-consciously, a rare event to witness. "I asked her to the next Hogsmeade outing, and I told her how I felt at the Three Broomsticks."

"Just like that?" asked Regulus, surprised.

"Just like that. It's real simple. You just have to buck up and tell her."

"It would be a mistake to confuse simple with easy," Regulus sighed.

"Nothing truly worth it is easy, Reggie."

 _He's right,_ Regulus thought. He slowly got up. He knew what he had to do.


End file.
